The beginning of the New Year is always a moment of reflection. What I’ll do during the next 12 months? There are so many variables. Where and where I’ll go for holidays or which events I’ll photograph. There is only one thing certain – I must visit Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.
I remember when I first entered the garden filled with the most unique car selection I’ve ever seen. For the first half of an hour, I was just staring at all those beauties and couldn’t take any picture. Since then, I became more distanced but still the May event at the Lake Como is a highlight of the whole year.
Why does this event stand out from all the others? Is the variety of machines, the picturesque panorama of the lake or the spring Italian sun – all those ingredients matters but without a group of passionate car owners, journalists and other enthusiasts, this wouldn’t be the same.
For many years the event was executed accordingly to the same plan. On Saturday the closed part of the Concorso was conducted in the Villa d’Este and on Sunday morning the cars were driven a short distance to the nearby Villa Erba, where a public exposition of the vehicles was done.
This year the event became more exclusive. For the whole weekend the vehicles were kept in the Villa d’Este. No public entry was available. The lucky ones with invitations appreciated smaller crowds but it’s a shame that the average enthusiasts are not given any chance to experience the cars from their dreams.
On the other hand, the wide public now has a dedicated event especially for them. In the Villa Erba the Wheels & Weisswürscht car meet takes place. As the main organizer of the whole event is BMW Classic, it’s mainly devoted to the cars from Munich but not only. Any owner of an interesting vehicle is welcomed.
The most interesting part of the main part of the Concorso is the parade. In the current format, on Saturday all cars go in front of the jury and audience. The presentation is hosted by the charismatic Simon Kidston. Doesn’t matter if he currently tells the story about a car in English or Italian – it’s always joy to listen to him.
I’ve asked myself a question, if it’s a good idea to visit this event every year. In the end the format is usually very similar, the cars are different but exposed in a similar manner. But after a short moment of doubt, I came to the conclusion, that spring without this experience, this sun and those emotions wouldn’t be the same. See you next year!
